


Missing Scene

by kuonji



Category: Free!
Genre: Episode Related, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 12:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18222878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuonji/pseuds/kuonji
Summary: It must be difficult being captain."Rin raised an eyebrow.  "You say that like you aren't a captain yourself."Rin and Makoto have a conversation after Nationals.  Rin is not a fairy godmother.  Makoto is not weird.





	Missing Scene

"Rin!"

Rin felt momentarily embarrassed as he finished shaking the water from his hands, too lazy to use the hand-dryer or to bring his own handkerchief. He wouldn't normally care, but something about Makoto always made him feel a bit like he should behave better. "Yo!"

"Congratulations on placing in the 100-meter." Makoto smiled that glowing girl-trap of a smile of his, all gentle and 100% genuine. Even in the unflattering fluorescent lights of the hallway, with the ever-present sweat-and-chlorine-scented fog drifting from the locker rooms behind them, Makoto gave the impression of having just stepped out of a girl's comic magazine. Rin often found himself confused as to whether he wanted more to protect Makoto or to hit him over his perfect, oblivious head.

"You guys did good, too. Sixth place in nationals, and you didn't even exist before last year."

Makoto scratched his cheek. "Thank you."

"Hey, uh, give my congratulations to Rei, okay?" No one ever mentioned it, but Rin knew he had taken something important from Rei last year. He'd been glad to learn the Iwatobi team had made it to Nationals this year.

"Why don't you tell him yourself?"

"I've got to get back to my team."

"Oh, yes, of course. It must be difficult being captain."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you aren't a captain yourself."

"That's right. I forget sometimes. Gou is so good at taking care of us all."

The proper thing to do now was probably to assure Makoto some more, but the big lug was laughing, bright and free and utterly shameless. Anyway, Rin was proud of his sister. "You're all hopeless. You'd definitely be lost without Gou."

"Definitely," Makoto agreed, as Rin had known he would.

"Rin-senpai!"

Rin turned and waved at the clipboard-bearing figure down the hall. "Ai."

"We're lining up on the Mezzanine in ten minutes like you said."

"Okay, I'll meet you all there. Hey, Ai!"

Ai turned back, vigilant as ever for Rin's orders.

"Did someone keep an eye on Sousuke?"

"What?"

Rin sighed. He should have thought of it sooner. "Never mind. See you later." He would just have to play a game of hunt-for-the-lost-boy later. He was used to that. He caught Makoto's eye and gestured down the hall with his chin. "I'm headed this way. You?"

In answer, Makoto fell in step with him. "You didn't tell us much about Yamazaki when we were in grade school," he ask-stated.

The ceiling here was the same color as the walls, unlike the upstairs levels. Rin hadn't noticed that before... "Yeah, we were kind of... not so close when I first met you guys. I guess I kind of dumped him when I moved to Iwatobi." He glanced over in time to catch Makoto's encroaching look of borrowed guilt. He waved his hands. "But we made up again real fast! Don't worry about it. We were best friends again almost immediately. He even saw me off when I left for Australia, and we exchanged letters." Until they hadn't, anyway. Rin would do better this time.

"Oh, good."

"Hey, I have a question for a fellow captain."

"Hm?"

"I'm thinking of appointing Ai to be captain after me. What do you think?"

Makoto didn't immediately answer, perhaps understanding that Rin meant it seriously. He was good that way. It was no wonder he could have regular conversations with Haru. "I don't know him that well... He's kind of quiet, but he seems to get along with everyone, and I know he's been assisting you, so he won't be totally unfamiliar with the job. He's come a long way this year in his swimming, too, which means he's serious about it and is willing to improve himself." He tilted his head at Rin. "I'm sure it's also because you're a good captain."

Rin shrugged away the unmerited praise. "That was Sousuke, not me. He trained Ai without even telling me."

"I didn't know that. Yamazaki is a good guy."

"Yeah, he is." He just liked acting like a jerk too much for most people to notice.

"And that means Nitori-kun can take instruction and advice, one-on-one. Maybe he can learn to give it, too. That would be a good skill to have as captain."

Rin nodded. Those were all good points and things he'd thought of himself. He'd just wanted a second opinion from someone possibly more objective.

"If you think he's a good choice, I'm sure he is."

"Thanks."

Makoto's serious expression shifted into a teasing smile. "Nagisa likes him."

Rin snorted. "So Ai is patient, too. That's good."

After reaching the ground floor, Rin paused. Up farther went to the mezzanines. Down the hall went to the front exit, where the Iwatobi team was likely going to meet up. Indeed, Makoto nodded in that direction. "Haru and the others will be outside."

"Yeah. Hey."

"Hm?"

"So, you guys... you and Haru. You made up okay, right?" He wasn't being a mum. He just wanted to know that the trouble he'd gone to to get Haru back on track wasn't going to waste.

Makoto lit up, as if asking after his friends was some heroic feat Rin had managed. "Yes, we're fine. Thanks for what you did. I knew you'd be able to do something even when the rest of us couldn't."

"I'm the last resort, huh?"

"Of course! You're the magic fairy godmother."

Rin scowled. "Why aren't I a genie, or King Arthur and Excalibur, or something cool like that?"

"No, no. When you swim" -- Makoto demonstrated the butterfly stroke -- "it's like you have wings. So. Fairy godmother."

Rin resisted the urge to kick the taller boy across the back of his knees like he would Sousuke. Makoto was getting way too big. There had to be a limit -- especially when he was such a dork. "You're so weird."

Makoto smiled as if he'd been given a compliment. "My best friend is addicted to mackerel."

"That doesn't make _you_ normal. You're _both_ weird."

Makoto giggled behind one fist.

Rin felt a wave of fondness for the idiot in front of him. For once, it came unmixed with nostalgia for his brighter, freer eleven-year-old self and those simpler relationships with his classmates. "It must have been strange for you. Haru said it was the first time you ever fought." He could do question-statements, too.

Makoto sobered. "It was. I'm glad that's over with."

When Makoto seemed unwilling to share more, Rin huffed. "You guys really _are_ weird. Sousuke and I can have three separate fights before morning practice."

As he'd hoped, that made Makoto smile again. "I'm not sure that means you're normal, either."

"It works for us."

"Apparently."

Rin couldn't help but let one last probing question out: "It was Haru's fault, though, right?" Rin was pretty sure Haru wouldn't have been so upset if Makoto had been in the wrong.

"No." This time -- of course -- Makoto was quick to reply. "Both of us were keeping things bottled up when we shouldn't have."

Rin snorted to show his skepticism but didn't pursue it further. "Do you think we spoil him too much?"

"I don't think so. You know, he was the one who apologized first."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm. The first time we were alone together after you guys got back. When it matters most, Haru comes through for his friends."

_For the Team_

_"It's not too late, Rin."_

"Yeah, I guess he does." Rin rolled his shoulders back against the stiffness he knew he would feel tomorrow. He checked the clock over the stairs. "I'd better go. Oh, wait." A thought occurred to him. "I didn't make it to the Iwatobi spring festival earlier. How about you guys come over for the summer festival at Samezuka? The swim team will have a café." Mentally, he apologized to Ai and Momo. He was a third-year now, so he was safe. Sousuke, the lucky bastard, had never been forced to know the horrors of pantyhose.

Makoto looked delighted. "That'd be great! I'll make sure to tell the others."

"Terrific! See you there."

Summer festival, huh? Rin grinned, partly in disbelief, as he jogged up to find his team. It sounded like such a normal, high school thing to do. No water, no competition, no drama. Just everyone hanging out.

That didn't sound too bad.

  
END.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this story, you might try these:  
> [A Little Mix-Up](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17092298) (Free!), by kuonji  
> [Bloodlines](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13793040) (Free!), by kuonji  
> [Why Davis?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/265638) (Digimon 02), by kuonji  
> [The Mating Habits of Snails](https://archiveofourown.org/works/920095) (Free!), by Shimegami  
> [Aftermath](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9614369) (Free!), by destinyorfreewill  
> [If. (Not when)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6512236) (Free!), by orphan_account  
> [Last Year](https://archiveofourown.org/works/941160/chapters/1835165) (Free!), by Miaou Jones (miaoujones)  
> [Photo Number 69](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14988017) (Free!), by suilde


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